Iam new to this Forum so therefore hello people . Iam from Hamburg Germany where there are the Harley days at the moment. Iam a big fan of HD bikes since i made my motorcylce lisence. Always had a look at diferent models and types and even rode some of them for a day or two. For example the 48 sportster or a softtail slim. Now i found exactly what i was looking for.

take a look pls.


This is exactly my style. first of all i dont know much about HD in general, hence i have some question and it would be super awesome if you guys could help me. What is a shovel bobber ? Shovel ? What bike do i need as a base for building something like that and how much would it be if a professional would build it.

Also iam pretty tall. 1.92m. Would i fit on that bike. The 48 was a bit small for me i think. is there anything else i need to know about such a bike in terms of usability etc.

Thanks in advance for every answer. much appreciated!!!

 

Shovel refers to the motor, a shovel head. Bobber is just the style overall. Cost wise is hard to say, but I can tell you it won't be cheap.

 

Ok,
A shovel is the type of the engine. It was made by Harley from 1966-1984. A bobber is the style of bike. Very minimalistic. Hence a shovel bobber is a bobber styled bike with a shovelhead engine. I have no idea your budget, but getting a professional to build this bike would not be cheap. You can get almost the same look by starting with a new 48 and adding a few parts for a whole lot cheaper, and it would be much more usable because you wouldnt have the problem of having a one off custom bike. Sportsters, such as the 48, are very easy to customize. Here is an example:
You can do this with a stock 48 and just a few hundred bucks and a set of normal tools. Oh, and welcome to the forum.

 

You're 6'2" and yes, you'll fit that bike just fine.

 

A softail slim, 48 sportster, or 72 sportster would be the closest to the that bike in terms of what models Harley makes. You will have to have it customize to you liking though. You also could just build it from the ground up.

 

Oh, you can make a 48 fit you better with just a few parts. I guarantee that the custom bobber that you showed is the same size or smaller than a 48.

 

Thanks for the replies! In terms of money i would/could spent around 25k in total. but probably not at once. So you can't say what specific bike the guy from the video used as a ground model ? I know the 48 is also really could looking but i can not help it. i just fell in love with this bike

 

It's your money and your bike so do whatever you want, but I would think very hard about just going to a Harley dealership and starting with a 48. A custom bike like the shovel in my opinion would get old quick. No rear suspension, no electric start etc. You can customize a stock 48 to look identical to that bike without any of the issues that a custom shovelhead would have. Once again, it's your call though. for 25k, you can do anything you wanted to on a new 48.

 

About usability: it isn't great in both that custom bopper job and a 48. Their gas tanks are aptly named "peanut", very small.
If I may, I'd like to add a note on aesthetics. You're tall and you'd look like a circus clown on both of them (less so the custom bike). Perhaps consider something bigger to bring it into balance?

 

Welcome to the Forum!

The frame in your video could be from from a number of manufacturers, it looks to be a basic hardtail.

Since you like the hard tail look with the springer front end of this bike, my humble opinion would be:

1) Go get an older Softail Springer. Evo's are very affordable right now and they are very dependable. Under 10k USD The softail frame will ride much better than the hard tail. If you're tall it also will fit you better than the Sportster frames will.

2) You can fit a peanut tank on if you want (it won't hold as much petrol as a stock tank). Under $100 USD

3) Add a set of drag bars or apes depending on your ride preference

4) Make sure the bike has forward controls, even look into extended forwards if you have long legs.

5) Take the rear fender and struts off and have a custom fender and mounts made to look like the one above. Paughco makes them for under $100 USD

6) You can change the 21" front wheel out for a fat tire in the front and not use a front fender (looks cool but will be no fun on a wet road).

7) Add a spring seat assembly. Mother Road Customs: Bracket and springs $200 USD, Ultima has some very comfortable seats for under $100 USD

8) Paint it to your color preference and you're finished.

The bike will be easier to work on since it will be all HD mechanical parts, frame, front end etc... It will look very close to this and you won't break the bank getting there.

I guess the real question is... can you turn a wrench and do it yourself? If not, find good shop to help and learn to turn a wrench. Doing it yourself is a great feeling and you know how your bike works, God forbid you break down you'll be glad you know how it works.

At least that's what I would do...

Good luck!